Reap What You Sow
by RookBishop
Summary: He wanted files and you gave it to him. He did pay you after all. You just didn't know he was expecting more. [Reader x Reaper][Reader x McCree](Ratings may change. Post Recall. Slow-Burn baby!)
1. Chapter 1

1

You watched from afar, spectating the visually loud man from across the street. Laughable.

At this time and place, who would don a mask and completely covered from head to toe? You scoffed at the waiting man, as you fanned yourself with the manila folder you held.

As if he heard your remark, you watched his head turn to face you. With a wave you gave, both of you stood there, waiting for the other to make their way across to street to them. But none of you two moved. With a sigh, you got up from the bench and walked your way to him, watching both ways before you crossed. Out of habit, you also took notes if there were any bystanders around. With this heat and dryness in the air, the sidewalk and roads were silent save for the summer time background noise.

"I was already sitting down you know?" you remarked, hand already outstretched to give what you had promised," wouldn't kill you to cross the street for me."

He stayed quiet, pulling the contents out of the folder on the spot. You felt insulted

"Look, buddy, I know this is our first time interacting and everything, but you can tr-"you felt the cool barrel of his shotgun at the base of your chin. Great. You instinctively raised your hands, face betraying the annoyance you felt. So he was one of those types of people.

"I don't pay you to talk." He only said, before giving his gun a nudge, choking you a bit before he placed his gun somewhere inside his jacket. With a frown, you brought a hand to where the gun was. As nice as it felt in the summer time heat, you hoped it was a one-time event with the man you were employed under.

"Don't pay me enough…" you mumbled, crossing your arms as you waited for your employer to have his fill with his documents. Your eyes traveled his body, unashamed as you knew you have your sunglasses to thank for.

He was built, that's for sure. Whatever this man did for a living, you wanted to keep yourself out of. His fingers clawed with metal tips, his mask menacing. But your eyes lingered to his thighs. As laughable as how tight his pants were, you were thankful for how he filled them out. Toned and thick, you bit your lips thinking of what he could do with them-

"This looks good enough. I'll wire the rest by the end of the day." He caught your attention, voice sounding stoic and inhuman as it did over the phone," I expect the rest of our meeting to go as silent and smooth as possible in the future."

"Yeah, sure, you don't pay me to talk after all," a smirk graced your lips as you gave a shrug, hoping that you didn't piss him off somehow again. He stayed silent, standing still before turning around.

"I shouldn't have to pay you at all if I could."

This son of a bitch.

You gave a huff before turning around to head back home as well. At least that was over with.

You did wonder, though, why he needed info on some old cowboy wannabe.


	2. Chapter 2

2

"Mccree…" you drawled out, swirling your glass of bourbon around. You laughed.

You were no fool; you remembered that old cowboy from when you first started your business. He had confronted you before with a job that he needed you to finish. Said his boss needed to find some dirt, but he didn't wanna bother with it. Simple enough, you were getting paid. He asked you to find some discrepancies with background files. Background files of people from Overwatch, no less.

 _"Blackwatch." He shrugged when you asked why and how he got the files. You had no fucking clue what he meant by that, but it was none of your business. The upfront payment was no joke, so you assumed it was supposed to be hush money as well. That was the first meeting, a simple briefing on what he needed from you._

 _During the second meeting, he flirted with you._

 _You rolled your eyes, watching him sit down next to you and ordered a drink for the first time. He gave a smile that he no doubt knew won hearts. You gave one back in return._

 _"I don't mess with customers." You had only said before he raised his hands and bowed his head down, as if surrendering himself. His smirk gave it away that he wasn't._

 _"Nor do I but I'm a little bored and lonely tonight. How about we talk over some drinks and head back to your place?" his southern drawl was strong._

 _"Where are you from?" you asked out of curiosity. The smirk left his lips, and instead a confused frown took over._

 _"Why d'you ask?"_

 _You shrugged, looking down at your mojito and playing with the straw," your accent."_

 _You could almost hear his cocky ass smirk," Interested now huh? New Mexico."_

 _Looking back up and at him, your eyes went a little wide._

 _"What the hell are you doing here then?"_

 _It was his turn to shrug._

 _"Guess I was good for something for them."_

 _You didn't press any further. Not with the way he was starting to lean closer to you. You, in turn, leaned back, lifted your elbows off the counter and drinking the rest of your drink before picking up your purse and flattening out your dress. He turned around to watch you, watching your hands try to pull the too short skirt down a little._

 _"Well Mr. McCree, as much as I would LOVE to spend the night with someone, I've still got work to do." You gave a smile that could've fooled anyone," Mind you the work is for you after all. Wouldn't want your boss getting mad at your for something late right?" you gave a disgustingly sweet laugh. You watched him chug his drink, before standing up._

 _With a smooth smile, he wraps an arm around your shoulder, leading you towards the door._

 _What a built man. You thought, not sure if he was purposefully flexing or not, but work was still work, no matter how much of a dry spell you've been having. But you could at least still have a bit of fun._

 _Finding something to trip on, you fell forward but tried to catch yourself on his back and his abdomen, pretending to stabilize yourself as you give a light squeeze. You felt a light warm breeze on the shell of your ear._

 _"Thought you had work to do Hun."_

 _You were looking up at his smirk with a frown. A smart man as well. You gingerly straightened up, fingers lingering on him before you crossed your hands and held onto your elbows. You hated smart men._

With a sigh, you drank the rest of it. What did that masked man want with him?


	3. Chapter 3

This meeting was the second time you met him again.

Maybe he learned from the first lesson, but he summoned you to meet somewhere indoors. Thank God.

There had been a heat warning today.

He said he wouldn't be wearing his usual get up today, just black t-shirt and jeans. He'd have a black beanie on just in case. For easy recognition, he had said.

Boy, was he a sight to behold. If you hadn't known any better, he could've been a different man.

Looked a little dead with that ghostly pale skin of his, though.

"May I?" you smiled down, at him, hand on the chair, ready to pull it out regardless of what he said. He gave a grunt. "Glad I got a chance to see you without your get up." You wave a server over, asking for a menu as well.

"I feel kinda lucky today, almost feels like a date with a handsome man." Your sweet smile grew as you leaned on your elbows," I'll have whatever he's having."

As you waited for the server to leave, you watched the man take his beanie off. Scars littering his head as it trails down his face as well. You spied some peaking up under the neck of his t-shirt. If you hadn't already been through what you've been through, you would've been scared of the man. You watched him lean back into his seat, eyes betraying anything about the man.

"Did the heat from the first meeting scare you off?" you laughed, gesturing the hat on the table. You felt his foot on your toe. The pressure building itself as he stared you down. Trying to make yourself look lax as possible, you continued to smile as you sought to free your foot to no avail. You used your other feet to nudge it away when the pain started to surface, but his other foot came to intervene, making you spread your legs open under the table. Thank God for table clothes. You sat back straight and squirmed

For once, he seemed amused.

Power hungry type of guy, huh?

You opened your mouth, but before you could say anything he released your foot and leaned into the table. Hands resting and propping his head up.

"Don't test me." He simply said, a smug smile gracing his lips, but hidden from view to those who were none the wiser.

You now genuinely feared this man.

You cleared your throat, regaining yourself as you turned your body around, placing your purse behind you as you pulled another manila folder out. This time, it was significantly thicker. No doubt why he proposed to meet over a meal instead. You held it outstretched over the table.

"That's going to be four different payments." Your voice was trembling just a little, but he caught it none the less. He remained still, eyeing the folder before making eye contact with you again. Did he get off on making you uncomfortable?

As the folder started to get heavy, you placed it on the table and slid it across the table till it was in front of him. He finally broke his posture and sat back, picking up the folder as well. Your meals finally arrived, surprised with how fast it came. You turned your head back to the man, but he was already immersed with the contents of the folder. You watched the server pour two glasses of wine. Smiling, you praying that it was some good stuff. With a bow, the server left. You rested your hands on the table and returned your attention to your employer. Trying to get his attention before starting to dine. You weren't raised as an animal.

He didn't seem to notice that there was a meal in front of him, nor you, as a matter of fact. You coughed.

His eyes moved from the file to you, to your slightly fidgeting fingers on top of the table.

To your surprise, he sighed and took his wine glass, clinking it to your before muttering a 'cheers.' Taking aback, you took yours as well, somewhat hesitant to bring it to your lips.

"Dig in." he must've noticed your hesitation.

The meal went as awkward as you possibly could imagine. He didn't touch his dinner, but instead, took sips from the wine as he focused on the files you've procured. Reminded about how smooth the wine was, your eyes darted to the label of the wine bottle on the table as he poured himself another glass. You almost laughed out loud, realizing it was one of the cheapest fucking wine you could find on the menu.

Not much of a fancy type of guy huh?

You didn't know what to say to him. You knew it was nothing close to a date, but you couldn't help but feel embarrassed. You could almost feel the people around pitying you. When you realized that you've finished the last of your meal, you looked up to your client. Finding him eyeing you, the files back inside the folder and placed to the side of his dinner, still untouched. He watched you still as you took a sip from your wine.

Eyes darting from place to place, you tried to find something to look at other than the man in front of you. When you've also realized you finished your glass of wine, your hand reached out to the bottle, ready to pour yourself another drink – the third glass. His hands stopped you from doing so. Out of character, he repositioned his hand, holding yours like some sappy romantic movie. With his other hand, he waved for the attention of your server.

"Bill please."

As he paid, you sat there, awkwardly shifting as he still held onto your hands. It held no malice, from what you could tell, it was a simple gesture, but you didn't dare to take your hand back. The server gestured at the food.

"Was it not to your liking?"

He smiled.

He fucking smiled.

"Wasn't feeling too well today, but it seemed nice, from the way she was eating it." His eyes went back to you. You almost flinched as how warm they looked. The server caught your attention again.

"Very well, I hope you two have a pleasant date." With that, the server walked off.

About to open your mouth to say something, he pulled you by your hand, the very same one that was gentle just a second ago, but it felt stiff and stern now. You stood up with him, hands hurriedly trying to grab your purse before you went.

As you two went out the door, you were about to try and shake yourself free, but he placed his arm on your shoulder, pulling you close to his side.

"What-"

"He did the same thing didn't he?" his eyes blank and looking straight ahead of him.

Your mouth hung open, trying to find something to say. When you failed to do so, he looked back down at you, a smirk gracing his damn lips.

You hated smart men. But you hated men that knew something that you didn't even more.


	4. Chapter 4

You stood in the hotel's shower. Letting the cool water run down your body.

What the hell did you get yourself into this time?

Nothing happened after your second meeting. He walked with you for about five minutes before a black car approached the both of you. Then, he was gone. You were left on the sidewalk by yourself. You strung a chain of curses, watching the black car disappear from your sights.

Unconsciously stomping your feet as you walked to the edge of the sidewalk, trying to wave a ride down.

Your phone had ringed the moment you got into a taxi.

 _"_ _Same thing next week. I'll message you the details" And he hung up._

That son of a bitch.

You stepped out of the shower, drying your hair as much as you could before wrapping the towel around you. Leaving the bathroom, you sat down in front of the desk, hands busy on the keyboards of your laptop. You had two windows open on the screen; one with the standard information you were paid to get and the other relating to Blackwatch. You weren't dumb. You had an inkling of an idea of who your client was. You always did research for people you could potentially work under. Just in case they liked to tie up loose ends. Seeing his face today, confirmed your suspicions.

"Gabriel Reyes…" you mumbled, pulling up the most recent picture of him before the incident. He seemed so much more handsome back then. A smoother darker skin gracing his face, and his eyes spoke volumes of who he once was. You sighed. "How are you still here, Captain Reyes?" You asked no one, leaning back into your chair as you stared at the picture of candid Morrison and Reyes the press had gotten. If they were more your age, you wouldn't mind giving them some of your time. Reyes still somehow looked the same as he did in all those pictures. Granted his skin – now pale – was littered with scars. What the hell happened to him?

"What are you doing with all these dossiers?" you whispered, getting back to the work that he was paying you for. At first, you thought he was somehow still working for an underground Overwatch group, but seeing the files he was requesting, it seemed more like he was working by himself or with someone else.

A man hunt.

You almost felt guilty. But you were getting paid. Boy, were you getting paid. Remembering the off remarked you made the first time you had met the man. You wondered what he did to provide for all of your services. You certainly weren't a cheap hire – from what you could tell from your competitors.

With a slight shiver, you decided to call it a night. Slipping into pj's and crawling into bed.

You almost laughed when you settled down. Laptop on the desk in front of your bed; still running and still on the picture of Morrison and Reyes. While most of the picture was covered up with windows for your work, just Reyes' face peeked through.

"Night, night, Captain Reyes."


	5. Chapter 5

The ringtone only got louder.

Your hands moved to find the phone before where you could even comprehend where it was. When you finally found it on your pillow you brought it up to your face, eyes struggling to open up.

Unknown.

Was all your caller ID could provide. You figured you knew who it already was.

Rolling onto your stomach, you propped yourself up and gave a cough, trying to clear your throat. You pressed answer.

"Yes?"

The silence that greeted you on the other side woke you up more than a cold shower would. You quietly sat up, making your way to the desk to open your planner. Was there a meeting today? The voice on the other end answered it for you.

"Bring what you have to The Pier. 3:30." his voice sent a shiver down your spine. Before you could open your mouth, he had hung up. Setting down your phone, you took note of today's date.

"It's only been a week." your tiredness returning. Why did he need these files so goddamn fast? How did he have so much free time to meet up like this? Sure you had traveled this far for your special little client, but that hadn't meant you were going to dedicate all your time working for him. You could juggle more than one job at once and usually preferred to do so.

With a sigh, you started to get ready. You hoped that it was going to be short and hopefully sweet this time.

* * *

"3:45 sharp." was all he had snarled on the opposite side of the phone before he hung up. You had initially called him to tell him that you would be a little late due to traffic. He gave you 15 minutes more. What an angel.

When the taxi refused to budge in the past five minutes or so, you decided to pay for what you've owed and made your way to the destination on foot. Checking your phone's time every few odd minutes, hands gripping the crisp manila folder. You cursed under your breath, knowing full well that it was going to get crumpled.

Once you've arrived at the pier, you spied around for any soul that decided to stroll by the pitiful excuse of a pier. Abandoned warehouses surrounded the lake. The place smelled like rust and something musty. You almost wanted to roll your eyes at the typical trope your employer's choice of the meet-up. He must've hated the 'date' you two went on. Probably scared him back to wear his masked get-up. You tried to hold back a giggle at the idea.

"Found it funny that you were late?" the voice scared you. Not the volume of it - it sounded like he was still a good amount of distance away from you - but the suddenness of his ghostly voice breaking the constant white noise of water splashing. Your grin fell as fast as he appeared.

His black cloak and white mask made him so much harder to interact with seriously.

"Look, today's a holiday, and I didn't think so many people would decide to go out at this time of all times." you handed him the folder, not risking his patience any more than you'd liked to. He swiped it out of your hand without a word, and no doubt still pissed that you were - you checked your phone - 12 minutes late. There you stood, in silence as you waited for him to have his fill of satisfaction of whatever he had hoped to get from those files. You wondered, was his patience actually that bad, that he couldn't wait for you to compile a larger amount of intel? Did he truly have so much free time just to stand here and read the file once a week?

"Why not just read them all at once?" you spoke without thinking. At this point, you were too annoyed to be scared of him.

You watched his head lift up slowly as if daring you to continue.

You did.

"It'd save us a bunch of time if you'd just let me do all the research at once, rather than in pieces or sections," you sighed, arms crossed out of nervousness, "I could just hand you a USB with the files instead of giving you painfully obvious folders instead. It'd be cheaper too, sinc-"

The first meeting flashed past your eyes as you stared down the barrel of the same shotgun that you had just been so gracefully greeted with. Your hands went up, but this time, your face was blank. On one side you were scared shitless seeing a gun so close to your money-making face, but on the other hand, you were pissed that he pulled this trick with you again. You wondered if he even had the guts to pull the trigger.

You decided not to test him.

Watching you eye him, he lowered his gun before making it disappear from your sights. Shortly after. He continued sifting through the pieces of paper you had provided him.

"It'd save me the money if I killed you now." he read your mind.

You heard a quiet noise, sigh? A grunt? Regardless of what it was, you watched the cloaked man put the folders content back in and tucking it under his jacket. He gave you a nod, then he turned around and started walking away from the pier.

You didn't move. What the hell did he want?

"If you think meeting up after a longer duration of time will benefit the both of us, you're welcome to do it." you heard him say, his pace not showing any sign of slowing, "Just do not disappoint me."

"What an asshole..." you mumbled. Not caring if he was close enough not to hear you or not.

You heard a chuckle in the distance.


	6. Chapter 6

You scratched the top of your head in frustration.

"Jesse McCree." was all you had written on your file. You watched the cursor blink as if taunting you to write more.

You had seen the articles; you had seen the photos. Whatever happened to him after Blackwatch, whatever had made him go into hiding, it was clearly not an issue with him now. You knew a try hard vigilante when you saw one. It was your job to bring these type of people down when others paid you to do so. Reaper, - was what he told you to call him when you had asked for a name to put down on the contract, laughable as always. - had a particular interest in the man. It didn't take a genius to know why.

"You son of a bitch, you're the reason why I'm in the mess." aspirated sigh escaped your lips as you leaned back into your chair. It was starting to click into place. How and what Reaper was trying to get out of you. You had always wondered how the masked man found you. You were relatively quiet about your business; only word of mouth and connections with the wealthy ones kept you alive.

But here you are, working for a man that you had indirectly worked for before. You found it ironic, a small scoff leaving your lips as you poured yourself another glass of bourbon. But you stopped yourself before anymore fell from the neck of the bottle. A smirk started to grace your lips as an idea start to spring to life.

If there was one thing McCree was good at, it was covering his tracks. But you were even better at uncovering them. You pull up the most recent news article of the wandering cowboy. Something about a train and something about him stealing something. Whatever the missing object was, it was none of your concerns. You just knew that there was a very particular reason he took this train, and you had a hunch why.

Pulling out a phone, you decided to call a dear friend of yours.

* * *

He wouldn't shut up about how absolutely 'charming and handsome' he was when he 'saved his life'.

"Look, I know he's a good looking man, I've seen him up close before too," you push a laugh out, trying to look as interested as possible," But I need to now exactly what happened two days ago. What did he steal and where did he go?"

Your steward friend looked taken aback before a sly smile slipped onto his lips as if he knew something that you didn't.

"Off doing another one of your businesses again?" he hummed. You thought about rolling your eyes, but he already saw it coming," Okay, okay. I know, I know. I'll stop poking, but," your eyebrows furrowed followed by a frown. You hated when people ended their sentences with that.

"But?" you repeated.

"If you're trying to find him to lock him up, I ain't helping you." A very near adorable cheek puffed out. You laughed and asked him what made him think that. He looked somewhat surprised already. "Well, I figured the Feds were trying to look for him since they kept trying to pin some theft on him. But I saw it with my eyes! He threw that thing out the train doors so whatever group of people that were attacking us would leave for it instead."

You hummed, already surprised with the turn of events, "Well I can guarantee you that I'm not trying to catch him." You lied," just liked to clear something up."

That part was true. You were still somewhat mad about the whole McCree had dug for you.

Your friend eyed you with stern, half-lidded eyes as if trying to dissect you this very moment. You gave his back a slap. Joking about how you two use to share gossips about the snooty tooty travelers. How could he possibly do this to you now? When his shoulder shrugged you almost gave a sigh of relief.

You took out your notebook and started to jot down everything he said. Charming cowboy and all.

* * *

You were glad money's not a problem for you.

Walking into a pricey looking store, you tried to find something formal enough, but at the same time, not screaming 'Hey! I wipe my ass with hundred dollar bills!"

You picked the first thing the employee had recommend you when you explained what you were looking for.

"Some grand event coming up?" her curiosity got the best of her. A sweet laugh escaped you.

"Something like that." You smiled

* * *

You waited.

It's been – You looked at your phone – 23 minutes and that bastard still haven't shown up. You wondered if you should've ordered both meals by now. Instead, you asked for the drink menu. As your eyes trailed down the many selections of drink that your could only imagine pronouncing, you heard the chair across from you being pulled out. You kept the menu up.

"It's bad to make your date wait. This one please," you pointed to the one you were most familiar with. You turned your attention to the man, somewhat disappointed that his face was blank," Especially when they're your employer." You waved over for the menus.

"Not my cup of tea either, sweetheart," you both eyed your menus," but things came up. Had to take precautions." You both ordered.

"Especially when your employer was someone that worked for you in the past." He leaned back, the same old smirk just like you remembered," had to find something formal enough. Wanted to make tonight something special." He gestured down to himself. Your eyes trailed down, eyeing him for the first time since he's arrived.

You had thank whoever was above there that he had the decency to wear a form fitting suit. His hat gone but his hair slicked back, you took a moment to appreciate his face. You couldn't help but smile.

"Mr. McCree, don't you remember my policy?" you chimed, leaning on your elbows, voice barely above a whisper," I don't mess with customers."

He followed in turn, hands covering his mouth as he propped his head on his elbows.

"You're mistaken, sweetheart, if anything, you're the customer tonight, not me." You felt his leg brush up the side of yours, a flashback of the second meeting with Reaper resurfaced causing you to fluster a little. He continued," And my policy with customers is that it's a free for all."


	7. Chapter 7

You were glad that McCree was a talkative man.

The meeting was anything but boring, recounting the days when both of you were naïve and young. McCree had started telling you storied of when he was in a gang back in New Mexico.

"But how did you manage to work for Overwatch with a record like that?" you had questioned, taking another bite from your meal as he went on.

It wasn't Overwatch per say, but rather a dirtier handed and no restriction one.

You were starting to see what was going on here.

He continued explaining about Blackwatch, how they let him choose between that or rot in a cell. "And I was sure as hell not gonna let this lovely mug rot." He chimed. You watched him take a sip of the wine, making a compliment with your choice of beverage. You smiled. He asked what it was.

"You'd be surprised, but go on, and then what?" you ushered him, interests peeked by the man. He went explaining how Blackwatch worked. How he felt that was the true downfall of Overwatch. He had left before anything else had started to get messy. Specifically, when you finished your job for him. He had taken a peek at the files before handing them over to his captain. Something was clearly up with whatever Reyes was looking for, and he didn't like it. So, he just up and left, wandering around for a while before he had started to get restless. That was when McCree began to take up jobs but only jobs that he deemed fit. You asked him what he meant by that. He shrugged, mentioning how he's trying to keep his ethics clean. You scoffed.

"I wouldn't know if the one you're offering me is good enough, though." You both watched each other take sips of the wine. You both also watched your table cleared of empty plates.

You were the first to speak.

"To be honest Jesse," you watched him straighten his back when you drawled out his name on purpose," I don't know myself." You lied. You had plenty of what you needed already, but maybe you could squeeze some more out of him.

"You see, someone's been hiring me to look into that Terrorist group that Overwatch was fighting. Talon?" His body gestures were subtle, but trained in picking up small details; you picked up that he already knew where this was going.

"So you think it's him too, huh? Reyes." He spoke, his sudden interest in his swirling glass of wine seem almost endearing. You continued with your made up tale.

"Well, I can only assume," You lied," I can't say that Talon's and Blackwatch methods are coincidences, that's for sure. And this 'Reaper' has been hunting down Overwatch operatives." You figured you might as well warn him; you did like him a whole lot more than most of the people you've met in your life. You continued," It's almost like Reyes is trying to get revenge…" you trailed off, wondering if you should note something else too.

Most of the people Reaper were looking for were already long gone. Wiped from the face of the earth it seemed. You pondered. At first, you had figured he was trying to conduct a manhunt, but from what your dossiers was telling you, he was chasing ghosts. Whoever the people he told you to look into, either had little information provided or none at all. All except McCree and a few others.

What had he wanted with McCree?

* * *

When you waved over the server for the bill, you watched McCree pull out his wallet. You almost laughed.

"How does an outlaw like you even get paid enough for something like this?" you interjected, telling the server that you would be the one paying tonight.

He shrugged, placing it on the table, tilting back oh his chair, as if trying to find something to do. The both of you waited for the bill to come. You took a sip of your wine, eyeing him as he eyed you back. Your composure broke when you saw his grin grow, one of your own taking over as you looked back down to the table. When the bill came, McCree had swiped it out of the server's hand, shoving his credit card into it and back before you had a word. The server looked at you with a worried face, remembering what you had requested before. You just gave him the nod, sparing him of a messy scene.

"I've got to keep my image up, sweetheart. Can't have your date paying for something after you made them wait." He smiled a boyish smile. It almost won your heart.

You leaned back into your chair, arms crossing as if you weren't convinced. The sly smile on your lips told him as much," of course, of course, Mr. McCree." The server came back his McCree's card in hand. The outlaw gave his thanks, standing up and making his way over. You weren't surprised when he helps you pull your chair out and helps you up, urging you with silent cues to link your arm around his.

"Feeling lucky tonight Mr. McCree?" you teased, he had told you before, in the earlier days that he hated it when you called him that. Always asking you just to call him Jesse. You reminded him that you were working for him.

"Only just a little," he admitted, you felt a hearty laugh rumbling through his arm," Wasn't too lucky back then either." He finished. You wondered if you were too easy to read, or everyone else seem to read minds.

As the both of you made your way to the door, McCree had placed his other free hand over yours that held him, giving it a tight squeeze," It really was nice to see you still kicking about." His smile a genuine one that tugged at your heart. You almost sighed with defeat, but instead, you gave a smile back.

"And I, you," a simple return you gave back, but it held enough meaning, "As much as I might've not seemed it, you have become something to look forward to back then." You admitted, remembering the every odd meeting you two had. Often it was just you two at a bar, drinking till the place started to spin. Whenever either one of you had too much to drink, there was enough respect for either of you to call a cab and send them home. There were no advance, just playful flirting. You had wondered how either of you had managed that.

"Don't say stuff like that, sweetheart. My heart won't be able to take it." You could almost hear the nervousness in his laugh.

You gave a smile.

"Had our jobs been not so conflicting, maybe things could've worked out."


	8. Chapter 8

You almost felt sorry for being as relaxed as you were.

It had been nearly three weeks, and true to his word, Reaper had yet contacted you about your progression. You've working a whole lot, of course, but you've been getting antsy at the same time. Were you the one that was supposed to be contacting him about when to meet up? Was he going to up and pop up in front of your hotel window and take his files then and there? Whenever he had hoped to meet up with you, you decided that he had the contact information to do so. So, you decided to explore the area while you worked.

McCree had offered to show you around while the both of you were still in the same area, but you had politely rejected the offer. You knew his work rarely let him stay in a place for long. When you had asked him about that, he confirmed your questions with a guilty smile. You only laughed at him, saying that when this all blows over, maybe one day. After that night, you had found yourself dangerously attracted to the cowboy, but you knew your limits. You knew what your client had wanted and that itself was a reason why you had stayed away from him.

The heat was still there. It was evident by the sweat rolling down your skin.

Watching people stroll by as you sat outside on the balcony of a café, you opened up your laptop. You had made sure you sat somewhere where not every passersbyer could peer onto your screen. You decided to take a break from what you were hired for, rather, to research on what you had wanted to know. This was rare for you. You usually tried to get the job done as quick as possible, but this entire ordeal had interested you a whole lot.

You hadn't heard much about Reaper after Overwatch's disbandment. Mostly just Talon operatives stirring up a storm. You had been wondering Reaper's involvement with Talon itself. The points you had brought up with McCree still rung clear in your mind; Talon's methods, from attacking an objective to torture, was uncannily like Blackwatch. But a lot of things were still left unanswered. Were they similar because Reaper had been a part of Talon? Was it similar because someone from Talan had been a part of Blackwatch? You even entertained the idea of him being brainwashed, remembering the beautiful wife of Gérard Lacroix, some top dog in Overwatch.

More pictures of Gabriel Reyes and his accomplices littered your screen. If anyone had seen your screen and reported you, you could be sitting in jail right now.

A thousand conspiracies swarmed your head after the several hours you were there, ordering a second drink as you worked. The relaxation that was there before was now no longer present. With a sigh and a crack of your knuckles, you leaned back taking in your desktop screen. A habit you had developed after an extended work period. There were more than enough articles about the old golden days of Overwatch when Reyes was still in charge, and people were not after Morrison's head.

They look so content back then.

Feeling like a teenager again, you held your face with both hands, admiring Reyes' photos.

What a shame indeed.

When the chair across from you was pulled out, you almost jumped and closed your laptop out of instinct. Instead, your mouth hung agape as who sat across from you.

"How." Was all you had asked.

Reaper, casually clothing and all, gave his trademark scoff, "You're not exactly hard to figure out." He explained, drinking whatever he had ordered. You had wondered if he followed you here, but you had been sitting here for some time. Maybe it was just luck he caught you here. But what were the chances of that? And in casual clothes too? You laughed.

"Alright, and I'm sure you didn't go to my hotel and ask if I was in?" if he had indeed come to your hotel room's door to ask for the documents, you would've had a good holler. When he remained quiet, you did exactly that. "You could've just contacted me. I didn't get a new phone for you just for nothing." You mused, holding up your phone to prove a point. He gave a snarl.

"So do you have what I want or not?" he snapped, hand outstretched towards your laptop as if trying to turn it over. This time, you truly did close your laptop out of instinct. He raised an eyebrow but didn't ask anything. You fidgeted, not knowing what to say.

"Y-yes I do, but I have nothing on me to give it to you at the moment."

A USB was held in front of your face. His cocky grin slowly grew as you swiped the USB out of his hand, a huff coming out of your lips. He watched you open laptop, doing whatever you were trying to do behind the screen with a lax position and crossed arms, not knowing what else to do at that moment. You didn't know when it had started, but your heart was racing, face getting a little too warm, as you saved and closed the files of Reyes and Morrison. You could easily blame the heat if your face became too apparent. You took a sip from your drink as you watched the progression marker load. Now you were starting to wish you got something colder to drink.

"Was it work for someone else?" his voice broke the silence. You realized how much more smooth his voice was, compared to usual. Must be the mask.

"Yes." You lied, "As generous as you are, my lifestyle is an expensive one." You lied again, the window on the screen closes itself as it hits %100. With a swift yank, you handed him the USB with a little more attitude than you noticed. He took it back none the less, and just sat there, drinking whatever he had in the cup as he watched you in turn. What was with these staring contests nowadays?

"Can I help you with anything else?" you asked, it was your turn to drink from your cup. He shrugged, out of character. You almost wondered if the man in front of you was someone entirely different from the terror that was Reaper.

Closing your laptop and slipping it back into your bag, you picked up your cup and plate, "Well if you don't mind I'm done for the day." You spoke, back straight and voice confident. You hated letting your clients feel like they could push you around. Making your way to the counter to return the dishes, you left through door. You almost wanted to turn around and see if Reaper was still there sitting by himself, but the arm extending past you to keep the door open fed your curiosity.


	9. Chapter 9

As time went on, the more conscious, you started to get off the man beside you.

After he had followed you out the door, you hadn't said anything to him. Even when he picked up his pace a little to walk beside you. Even when he had pumped into a man, not letting him walk past between you two. It was when you two started to get close to the entrance of the hotel you stayed at, did you say something.

"Was there something you need or are you going to follow me in as well?" you had asked, not caring if your tone gave off a venomous amount of annoyance. He didn't say anything, making you feel uncomfortable now. "Look, I know you've gotta keep that whole 'I don't talk' thing up, but if you're going to follow me into my suit, I'm going to call security to escort you out." You threatened. It was almost pathetic, not even you, yourself, believed in the threat. You voice was soft from fear, and your attention cast to the side, not willing to make eye contact with him. He finally broke his silence.

"You've been out looking for trouble," He said nonchalantly, you looked up at him in confusion, but his attention wasn't on you. Instead, you followed his to several men standing behind the hotel's door. Most of them were at the desk, no doubt asking for something, while the others were just guarding the door, facing inwards. Your stomach dropped, "They were here earlier when I came in, figured you were out before I even needed to ask." He finished, a gentle hand on your back to urge you to continue walking past the door. You stayed quiet as you two continue to walk past your hotel.

The first thing you were more concerned with was the method of payments you'd be facing. If you don't return to your hotel and cancel the rest of your stay, they'll keep charging you. You had a 'pay as you go' plan with them, not knowing how long you would be staying here for your particular client. You fished out your phone.

He watched you dial a phone number from the corner of his eyes. He kept watching out of curiosity when you started to fish for your cards as well.

"Yes, hello?" you had only said, stating your name, "I would like to pay for whatever I owe on my secondary credit card from my chequing account." He watched you read off the numbers on one of your cards. "Yes… Yes… Thank you, and I would like to cancel that credit card as well, I think it's been stolen from me."

He scoffed.

Your eyes were drawn to his face, showing just as much annoyance as his was. You continued on your line, lying through your teeth about how much more no good it was. How you had lost it after you left a hotel, but it seems to be still charging you. You had difference cards for difference instance, just for the sake of keeping your trail clean. You've learned from your earlier days indeed.

With a thanks, you hung up and gave a sigh, "Well that's one thing taken cared of."

"People are after you and the first thing your care about is your money?" With a snarl, you flinched back at his snippet, "typical."

With a sudden burst of courage – mostly from rage bubbling up inside – you snapped at him, "Look, I don't have the luxury just to drop everything I once was and become a nobody like you, alright? I have a business to run! I have loyal clients! I have potential bigger clients! I can't just drop everything over some stupid folks trying to tie a loose end." Your voice was rising with each sentence. Before you knew it, you were on the verge of yelling at the man, evident from his slightly surprised eyes. You looked around two of you, a few other nosy eyes also on you. You gave a huff. Slightly pissed at yourself for drawing a crowd already.

"Look, I'm sorry, Hun. Just got a lot on my plate." The apology was an act. In an instance, you linked your arm around one of his. You started to pick you your pace, but when he hesitated you gave a disgustingly sweet smile and a soft tug.

"Come on!" you drawled out, "Let's head back to your place for the day."

* * *

You dropped your bag on the floor and gave a whistle.

It turns out money wasn't an issue for your employer either.

"So you're out on business too, huh?" you joked, placing your laptop down on the coffee table before making your way around the place. It wasn't the tidiest place, but it was certainly a lot more… Cozy than you gave Reaper credit for. It was almost like a luxury apartment. Your worries washed away when you found a guest room. "Not bad, not bad at all. Guess this will be my room."

He didn't answer, knowing full well you intended it to be rhetorical. Instead, body leaned against the frame of the guest room's door; he voiced his complaints about your stay.

"Couldn't you just book a room instead of wasting my time?" with a growl, he caught your attention.

"I would, but you were there, I just canceled my credit card. It'll be awhile before I can procure another one from my ass." You joked, making your way past him and to the kitchen to open the fridge door. You frowned when there was nothing inside. "What do you eat around here?" he didn't say anything. You followed the silence and realized he wasn't there. You were about to call him out, using his old name, but you held your tongue.

"Reaper?" when there was still no reply, but rather the sound of your laptop starting up, your stomach dropped. You speed walked your way to the lounge, seeing Reaper look up from your laptop. It was still on the table with him hunched over it. If you weren't so tilted by what he might've found, you would've laughed at the scene, but instead, you just stared at him. His eyes were drawn back to the laptop screen. You were hoping he was smart enough not to click on the folder titled 'client,' his smirk gave no indication if he did or not.

"Been doing your research huh?" was all he had said before you lunged at the laptop on the table to close the screen. He leaned back, hands up as if surrendering himself, but you knew it was more of 'rub in your face' than anything else. Looking back up to his face as picked your laptop up, his smirk only grew.

"How dare you touch my personal belonging? You might've hired me to do work for you, but that doesn't consent you to touch them on your whim." With a stern voice, even a toddler could tell you were crossed. You watched him lean back on top the couch; hands outstretch on either side of him to show his lack of care for you.

"And I didn't give you consent to do a background check that far into my past."

The jig was up. Instead of feeling guilty, you only felt annoyance; it's not like he was hiding his face or anything. You said exactly that. "Plus, I've had a habit of doing background checks ever since I was threatened with a gun. Just in case you had a habit as well, to you know, tie up loose ends as well."

You dropped your laptop when the man in front of you disappeared under the guise of a black mist. You stepped back as it started to approach you. In an instance, you felt your throat constricted and lifted slightly. The mist had reformed back into Reyes, a hand around your neck, eyes showing that he was as content with this situation as you were.

He wasn't.

"I could tie it up right here, right now." His hand was tightening around your neck to emphasize it. Your ever so graceful wheezing was the only noise you could make as your feet barely touched the floor. You looked down at him, fear in your eyes. Mouth gasping for air like fish out of your water, you tried your best to say something, anything.

"P-puh-uh-leassse." You strained. Your hands were trying their best to pull his fingers loose, but he didn't budge. Not saying a word, he eyed you.

"No." was all he said and his hands started to tighten. Your heart began to race. That was it for you, over something as stupid as a slip-up. Your vision was starting to black around the edges. Your eyes began to roll back. Before you knew it. You were on the floor, trying your best to breathe again. Hands were instinctively going up to your throat to feel if the threat was still there. It wasn't.

And neither was the man that poised it.


	10. Chapter 10

You hadn't cried in a long time now. The last time you had to remember bawling your eyes out was when you were watching that one show with the naïve main character. Their valiant efforts in trying to save the world were enough to make you cry at 3 am in the morning.

But here you sat, hands gripped around your neck as if trying to hold your head in the place where Reaper had choked you. Your eyes were already puffy, and snot was already running as you cried by yourself.

You hated this. You hate having to work for such a cruel guy. You hated risking your life as you snooped around for him. You hated how he could so quickly end your life he if wanted to. You hated how you dared relied on him before when the men in black were looking for you.

At the last of your whim, you picked up everything you had with you and left for the door. You half expected him to stop you from leaving the place, but when no restrictions were holding you back, you left the place as fast as you could. You sent a quick text message.

' _I'm done with this contract. I'll let you keep the rest that you owed me from this morning. Do not try and contact me again._ '

Before you could even find a garbage can to dispose of the phone's sim card, it rang in your hands. You already knew who it was. You always did, but you answered it, regardless of what you had requested before.

"Where are you planning to go to?" the voice echoed with reverb, telling you that he was indeed Reaper now and not Captain Reyes you had trusted before. You took in what he said. Where were you planning to go? Back to your office? Back to your old house?

"Anywhere else where you're not." You spat, still making your way to the doors of the hotel. You stayed on the phone, though, wanting to see what he would do in this situation. He didn't need you, nor you, him. His end was quiet save for a few grunts. What in the world was this man doing right now?

"You should be staying with me for now; you'd be safer there." was all he said, his voice sounding a little distance, but still clear none the less. Your body heat was rising, flaring from the rage. How dare he try to make you stay after the stunt he had just pulled?

"Didn't you mention how I was wasting your time earlier? I rather die than stay with you. Rather, I would be dead if I did." You reminded him as you walked out the doors of the hotel. One of the clerks had asked if you were ok, noticing your red and puffy eyes. You cover the phone, with a smile, saying that it was only allergies, and you were heading out to grab some pills for it. You noticed that Reaper had gotten quiet on the other end.

You heard a sigh, "Look; I need you. You're the only one that I can rely on to find what I need." You started to get cocky from the statement.

"Well, you sure blew that, huh?" you laughed, continuing down the road, trying to haul a taxi along the way. If he wanted you back, you'd make him beg for you. You wanted him to know that he can't do whatever he pleases with you just because he wasn't happy about it. You thought about working for him for a bit.

It wasn't worth it. You had thought.

"I thought my text was very clear. I do not wish to work for you anymore. And I would appreciate it if you never contact me again." And with that, you hung up and threw The sim card into a garbage can. With a wave, a taxi finally came to your call.

"The airport please."

The driver made a remark about how you were traveling light, but when you didn't reply, the both of you knew it was going to be a quiet ride.

* * *

 **A/N:** Very short chapter today. Also decided to change some things around in the summary for the fic. As you might be able to tell, I've been thinking of turning this into a post Recall fic. On the bright-side, McCree lovers rejoice! He's a bachelor now :^O or until you guys wanna write him off and have this strictly be a Reaper fic, lol. I'd also like to thank the people who took the time to review and favourited the story. Even the ones that put this story on their alert. I really appreciate the attention you guys have been giving this fic!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** lmao you guys asked for more Reaper so you shall receive. Had originally wanted the Shimadas Bros ™ to pop up in this chapter, but I'm also in too deep for Gabe so… Here's that sappy airplane scene you guys never asked for. Not the quality I had hope for, but that's what you get when you're too busy with -Overwatch- life.

* * *

All eyes were on him.

That included yours too.

There he was, in his full get up, blood, gore, and all. You felt sick.

You turned around trying to get back into the taxi, but instead, your hand was pulled back. You watched in horror as Reaper pulled a gun out, aiming it at the cab driver.

"Leave." It almost sounded feral; the growl made your knees weak from fear.

With that, you watched your only get away, drive off. He started to tug you harder, to follow him. His hand wrapped tightly around your elbow, metal fingertips digging into your skin, no doubt already drawing blood from your arm. You started to scream.

You felt like crying again. There were people all around you, but none of them even moved. The more you screamed, the more painful the grip on your arm was. You begged anyone close enough to stop him. Instead, you felt a stern yank, almost making you trip over your own feet. You indeed started crying again. Twice in one day too.

Feeling drained already, you stumbled behind the man, watching him pull you towards a black car. Tears were running down your face, but you couldn't make any more sounds. There was no use in it.

"I just want to live." Was all you had said under your breath, looking down at the floor dejectedly. You had missed Reaper looking back at you from the corner of his eyes.

You watched him open the door before he pushed you inside. You gave little restraint. Head downturned, you heard the door close next to you. The door on the other side opened, and he sat next to you, an awkward amount of space between the two of you in the back of the car. With a few knocks, you felt the car move. With the momentum of the moving car, you leaned your head forward, arms weakly holding onto either side of the passenger's seat, head tilted forward so that it was resting on the passenger's seat.

"They're going to know." You said. The car was silent save for the white noise from the car itself. "No one will trust me ever again. They'll never hire me again." You continue to tell no one in particular, "What am I supposed to do after all this?"

You knew what. You were going to die after Reaper was done with you. The ride continued in silence, with you staying in the same position. Spent, you didn't even realize you had closed your eyes and drifted away from reality.

* * *

It was so quiet.

You opened your eyes, but your body has yet complied to move. Taking in the scenery, you were at a loss for where you were. There was a small light peeking through the crack at the bottom of the door, but it wasn't enough to make out the rest of the room. You sat up, making an effort to look around the place. Your eyes had adjusted faster than you'd thought.

Under normal circumstances, you'd try your hardest to find an escape when you're somewhere you didn't know. But after all, you've been through today; you just sat there. Surprising lush covers were falling off your arms as you used your entire body to look around this time. You hadn't recognized this room. It certainly wasn't any of the rooms you had spied on during your visit to Reaper's place earlier.

Hearing the door open, you turned your attention towards it. The black mist greeted you for your attentiveness.

"Get up." Was all he said before he turned and left the door open.

You complied. You had no other reason to not to. You felt like it would be more of an effort to resist than to give in.

Your eyes were starting to hurt from the well light hallway on the other side of the door; you lingered at the doorframe. The place looked so… Sterile. The halls were a cool colour of white, the fluorescent light not helping with warming the place up. You had looked both ways before entering the hallway, noticing that it was devoided save for you and Reaper. He was a good ways ahead of you. Stopped, no doubt waiting for you to catch up. While his body was still facing the direction he was walking towards, his head turned back slightly to make sure if you were following. Dragging your bare feet on the cold floor, he had already started to move before you caught up with him.

The walk was long, twists and turns you've already forgotten came one after another. You fell behind in pace, your smaller frame and closed off posture proved to the cause.

"Where are we going?" you finally asked. Almost immediately, when Reaper had stopped ahead of you, your answer came. The two men guarding the door at the end of the hallway put you at an unease.

Almost, as if they knew what Reaper had wanted, they both nodded to him, opening the door with a key card. With a beep, Reaper pushed past them, and you followed. You avoided making eye contact with the two men.

The room was just as white and sterile as the hallways outside. The temperature only made it less inviting, feet starting to feel a little numb from the cold marble on the floor and room. You took the time to look around as you followed Reaper slowly inside. It seemed like an office. A large wooden desk set right in the middle, the large chair behind it facing the door. On the table were three monitors, far larger than one would need, no less three of them. You spied two doors, one to the left and right of the room, but other than that, the room itself had nothing else. No windows, no picture frames, nothing to tell that this was someone's personal office.

"Am I supposed to..." you trailed off, walking past Reaper to walk behind the desk, fingers trailing on top of it as if making sure it was real. He watched you explore the room, unable not to connect your actions to a prey taking in its environment while it's being hunted.

"You'll be working for me now," his voice echoed in the empty room," Permanently."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** I've been having some troubles writing this chapter. Mostly because I didn't know what to do to make Reader-chan adapt to her new workplace faster. So here's another eye rolling-ly sappy chapter.

* * *

It's been a good half an hour or so since you've sat down in front of your now new workspace. You took the time to explore the place that you were most likely to spend the rest of your life in. The door on the left turns out, was just a kitchen while the door on the right was a bedroom. As chic as it looked, it made you feel uncomfortable like it was all for display rather than to live in. There were even a vanity and a full closet. With a small voice, you had joked about what Reaper had picked out for you. Disappointment spread through your face, even more, when it was empty inside. There was, However, a pair of clothes waiting for you on the bed for the day after.

" _We'll get you your necessities tomorrow_." He had said when he noticed the drop in your weak-willed smile.

So, here you were, waiting for him in the new place he gave you. Wearing the clothes that someone had already picked for you. The black form fitting turtleneck made you squirm a little. While it did hide the bruise on your neck, every time you bent your head one way or another, the little pain reminded you who inflicted it in the first place. It almost felt like a collar.

When you heard a beep at the door, you looked up. Your stomach tied itself into a knot when you saw Reaper in his civilian clothes. Without a word from either of you, you made your way to the door.

Following him out, you noticed that the two guards you saw before were not there anymore. Knowing Reaper, he probably told them to leave so he didn't need to show his face to them. You had wondered if Talon even knew who Reaper was.

"Where are we heading to today, boss?" you piped, feeling a little more yourself today. You had taken the time to think about your situation more yesterday. While there might've been an invisible leash around your neck, you figured it was as safe as you were going to get. You'd have to run by Reaper what you were allowed to do and not on your down time. You figured if he truly valued you as an employee, you could probably squeeze some benefits out of him. At least you didn't have to worry about money trails anymore.

"Wherever you need to." Was all he said. You were taken aback. Though you had already known that, you almost felt giddy on the inside. It had sounded enduring, whether he intended it to or not. You smiled, feeling like you had a small victory on your side, despite the large disadvantage you were already in.

* * *

You almost felt bad. In one of the many changing rooms, you had several different shirts and pants to try on, mostly because you had to make sure they fit. You probably won't have the chance to exchange them if they hadn't. That was what you had told him when he started to complain about how much time you were wasting. You joked that if you had to worry about your budget, it would've taken longer, so he should be thankful for that. He only snorted as a reply.

Contempt with what you had, you opened the door, telling him that you were done and made a beeline to the counter with your no doubt pricey purchase. The clerk was smiling the whole time, occasionally eyeing you then to Reaper. You gave a smile back, making small talk while they scanned everything. They didn't ask why you were buying so much, but you told them anyway. Saying something along the lines of 'It was time for a new wardrobe.' When they told you your total, you had only looked at Reaper, ask if telling him to hurry up and pay.

"Your boyfriend is paying for it all too? Lucky duck." They chided, you laughed along when Reaper's frown grew. The two of you didn't say anything to correct it, though. You said your thanks when the clerk handed you your purchases in a bag. As you made your way to the door, you slowed your steps so Reaper could catch up, remembering something important.

"Do you mind if we drop by a grocery real quick?" He shot you a questioning look as if he didn't know your place had a kitchen.

"I'd just like to make some stuff to eat once in a while, you know." You shrugged, "As nice as it was to be feed steak yesterday, they just don't make it like Mama do." You laughed at your pathetic attempt of a joke. He stepped into the driver's seat and you, into the passenger's seat. You had carelessly tossed the bag into the back before putting on the seat belt. Fingers twiddling, you watched him start the car with a sigh.

Arms placed behind your seat as support; he turns to watch the back side as he backups the car. You couldn't help but watch him drive with ease, surprised by him and yourself. Firstly you didn't expect him to be able to drive so easily, seeing that he probably just got others to do it for him. Secondly, you didn't expect yourself to just watch him in awe like that. You didn't expect yourself to find something to be interested in after what he had subjected you to. You laughed, mostly at yourself for being so weak willed.

"What?" he asked, an eyebrow raised as he shifted the car to drive. You noted that he wasn't turning to the direction you two had come from, confirming that you might be going grocery shopping. You shook your head.

"Just didn't think you'd be that good at driving." You lied. A small hum coming from him tells you that he took the lie.

"Driving's one of those things that's hard to forget." You almost didn't catch the small, serene smile on his lips. It was your turn to hum in acknowledgment.

"Driving makes me anxious. Not am I responsible for my life, but potentially someone else." you paused, "I wouldn't be able to live with someone's death done by my hands." As hypocritical as it was, you only ever indirectly killed people. You never felt guilty for doing what you did; it was their moral choice to carry out the act. You were only doing your job. Plus, you never really felt that bad about it; the people usually deserved it, usually other gangs or corrupted corporations that you were hired to dig up. Reaper's requests were the only one that made you question your loyalty. You had turned down many jobs that involved the Overwatch cast before, knowing it'd get sticky with the feds once they catch wind. But when you had seen McCree's name on the file, you couldn't help but let curiosity get the better of you. You had wondered what he was up to, and you had wondered what Reaper had wanted with a disbanded group.

You hadn't noticed that Reaper was quiet the entire trip till you felt the car stop. You wondered if you had accidentally struck a nerve with him already. Sneaking a glance towards him, he looked stoic as ever, already getting ready to leave the car. You followed, noticing that the area you were in seemed more like a suburban area than the cityscape you were in before.

The shopping probably took longer than the shopping before. It was mostly you standing in the same aisle for at least thirty minutes before moving to the next. But surprisingly, Reaper was a lot less vocal about the time you were taking. He would even occasionally ask if you needed something, lifting it for you to see. When you had gotten to the cooking aisle, you asked him if he had free time later tonight. He gave the same raised eyebrow.

"I feel like I should make you something in repayment." Forgetting that you were permanently working under him now, you corrected yourself, "Well, for today anyway."

He watched you for a bit, but you didn't return the favour. Face starting to heat up; you were busying yourself scanning the spice rack, wondering which spices you might need in the future. You felt stupid for asking already.

"Go get a few pounds of pork." He nudges you aside, now his turn to scan the spices. You didn't move, hesitant because you didn't expect him to say yes so easily. Already picking out a few spices and leaned down to see more, he turned his head to you when he noticed you hadn't moved yet. "Get some peppers and lemons while you're at it. Maybe some long grain rice too."

You turned to leave, couldn't help but giggle while you did. You definitely did not expect him to be able to cook either.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Sorry guys I'm a fucking sucker for cooking fics, so here it is. A little shorter than usual, but last chapter was too long for it's own good, lol.

* * *

It's been a long time since you've to cook with and for a company. While most of it was spent in silence and some orders thrown around – mostly by you, surprisingly – you couldn't help but enjoy the time. It made you feel like you haven't been living alone for several years. You both were off making your own thing, while you didn't know what he was cooking, you were off making something you remembered from your childhood. It might've not been the most accurate thing, but you had a general gist of how to make it.

"What are you making?" you finally asked, taking a small break from cooking, almost done with your work. You had tried leaning over his shoulder, but his height made it hard to see. Instead, you decided to lean to the side, seeing some sauce being made. "The pork's been in the oven for a while now." Remembering that it was one of the first things he had tossed in.

"Cochinita Pibil," He turned around to grab a bowl, letting you see what he had been messing with. You still had no idea what type of sauce it was, "Pulled pork." He merely finished, pouring the sauce into a bowl and tossing the pan into the sink. You had swallowed a lump in your throat as you watched dishes pile up in the sink, deciding if you should test your luck by asking him to help with the dishes. You chose to ask after the meal.

* * *

The set up for the meal went similarly to the cooking for the food.

You had been vocal during Reaper's unveil of his pork from the oven, which governed a smug smirk on his lips. You chimed how it looked better than any pulled pork you've seen, which only made his smirk grow smugger. Joking about trading recipes, he scoffed, saying how yours was simple enough to remember, but you had mentioned something about it was about the techniques.

The meal was quiet, save for you occasionally trying to make small talk. He did make it hard for you though, his sentences consisting of a few words. You had asked about what you were able to do and not during your employment under him, but he just shrugged. You made some suggestions, answered back with only 'yes' and 'no'. You gave a huff of frustration, even voicing how hard it was for you to make the conversation bearable for the two of you.

"Why?" he had asked.

"I don't know!" admittedly, you felt it was mostly your personality to blame, but you knew better. You had wanted more about the man, but you didn't know why. Poking at your food, you started to wonder out loud, "You know, at first I thought it was because it was part of my job, to dig up people's past and figure them out. But then the more I find out, the more I questioned. Soon, the questions outweighed the answers. Next thing I know, I'm searching up about you while working for you at the same time." Looking up, mostly to see how he would react, you almost smiled when you saw him also picking at his food, head downturned as if thinking himself.

"But I guess I have all the time in the world to figure you out, huh boss?" Laughing, you fished for another bite.

* * *

The rest of the night went more quietly than before.

You hadn't notice Reaper looking at you from the corners of his eyes every once in a while. You hadn't noticed how much you would tug at the turtle neck, flashing the bruise. You hadn't noticed him watching you every time you did. You hadn't noticed that he finished his meal first. But you did notice him stand up, picking up his plate. You did notice him grab yours when you were done. You did notice how he made his way to the sink, turning on the tap. You did notice how he reached for the dish soap and got to work.

"I don't mind doing the dishes." You lied, crossing your finger that he would fall for your modesty.

"I was taught to use my manners."

You scoffed, "Sure don't seem like it." You chimed, stepping next to him and began to rinse the dishes that he had scrubbed down. There was a small growl beside you, but nothing else comes from the man. Can't help but feel cocky, you left your smug smile unchecked. He took notice of course but didn't do much about it. Not that he couldn't but more like that he didn't want to.

You watched him dry his hands as you skinned the apple.

"You staying for desserts?" you held up the apple, a smile gracing your lips. You already knew the answer, and when he started walking towards the exit, your guesses were correct. Shrugging, you called after him, "Thanks again for the meal. Drop by sometime if you feel like sharing some recipes."

His scoff echoed the room as he left. The faint beep behind the door tells you that you were now alone once again in the white box.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N** : Friendly reminder that this was supposed to be a slow burn, me. Oh thanks for remember, me! No problem, me!

* * *

It had been a good few weeks since you've taken up residence under Reaper's care. Work was starting to get unbearably slow, mostly because you were starting to run out of sources and interest in the matter. Initially searching for ghosts, now you were searching for all previous Overwatch members.

"That's uh… A tall order, even for me boss." You had warned him, but he had only told you to get it done. It was harder than usual, to do the work you did now. You had actually to make an effort on trying to cover your tracks now. Anything involving the Overwatch crew meant it would automatically deem illegal, and that includes digging up old files. But that aside, the work to find the files were surprisingly easy. The feds didn't exactly do a great job of trying to hide the files, but you had already known that. It wasn't the first time you've snooped through these type of records.

You gave a frustrated sigh before leaning back into your chair, crossing your arms, only just noticed the man in front of your desk. Little looms of mist emitting from his black form. You almost rolled your eyes at the sight of him.

"From the official count of members that was in Overwatch – Black watch included – I have maybe one twelveth of them down." You had already begun, yanking a USB out and handing to him. He had taken it rather gingerly, the tips of his metal claws just lightly grazing your bare fingers. Already about to leave, you had reached out and over your desk to grab his cloak, pulling it back a little. "I found something interesting that you might want to look into, though." You motioned him to come to the other side of the desk, to look at whatever you had on your screen.

He had moved till he was beside you. You moved a few things around on your screen, clicking some things here and there before pulling up what you had wanted to show him. You leaned back so he could see it all. He, in turn, leaned closer to the screen, slightly hovering over the side of you. Instinctively you breathed in, a metallic scent lingering in the back of your throat. You scrunched your nose, familiar with the smell.

"That's Watch Point Gibraltar." He stated, you hum in agreement before pulling another file up, this time, inventory of the old place.

"Then you're much familiar with what resides there?" you leaned to the other side of you, where Reaper wasn't standing as if trying to get away from the smell. Pulling out the top drawer, you pulled out another USB. "This is what I use to grab what I need fast and locally, usually." Showing him the little black USB, you made no effort to hand it to him. He motioned to grab it, but you had swiped it back.

"This little thing isn't going to work with those huge ones in Gibraltar. This is where I call in a favor from you, for you." a grin on your face, as if to show how proud of you were of yourself.

"Spit it out." Little patience as always with the man.

"I'll need to call up someone to make a more robust one first. After that, I'll need to go to Gibraltar and shove the big boy into the closest server box I can find. But if the Feds are still looking after the place, then it might trip something." You had warned.

"You're not going to Gibraltar."

"What- But I-"

He cuts you off.

"I'll go, I've got some things I need to take care of there." He finished with a stern voice. One that you didn't dare object to. He tugged at his jacket, pulling the cloak from your hand before he starts leaving. "Do whatever you need to get that thing done."

And so, you were left alone again.

* * *

It was starting to get annoying.

You were working, but the man rustling in your kitchen was putting you at an unease. Not even a day after you had told him about Gibraltar, he was already making an effort to come in and check in. It had made you mad, more than anything. You had offered him to come over and cook again last time; his reply was to ignore you for almost a month before arriving yesterday for your work. Now here he was, in your kitchen cooking up something that smelled too tasty. It was distracting, to say the least.

Almost as if he had noticed your annoyance, he came out with two plates, setting one of them down in front of you. You mumbled thanks. It had tasted as good as it smelled. You accidentally left out a sigh of content when you took your first bite.

"You should just be a cook; it's almost a crime." You chimed, taking anther bite. A quiet chuckle rung through the room, albeit it sounded a little raspy, it makes you smile none the less. You went back to work. "You can try and visit a much as you like, but it's not going to make my job go on any faster." You warned. He hums an acknowledgment and continues watching you work.

"Don't you have people to terrorize or something?" you asked, crossing your arms and turning your chair to face him. He had made himself comfortable, leaning against your desk, slightly sitting on it. He was in the middle of taking a bite. You bit back a laugh, trying to hold the serious composure you had before. You went back to typing away for you work. "I'll call you if anything comes up, boss. Don't worry." You almost felt sorry for shooing him away, after the few times you had invited him before. But the fact he had only taken up the offer afar he needed something for you, it rubbed you the wrong way.

He had left after he finished his meal, leaving his plate in the sink.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Wow Reaper's been getting like 5 chapters all to himself. Whoops.

* * *

You've flown in airplanes more times than you could count, mostly because of your job. But today was different. Today, you weren't even supposed to be on the plane, yet here you are, sitting in some high tech looking jet thing with none other than Reaper across from you.

 _"You're… considerably more ghostly looking." You mused, watching him rip his mask off, wisps of smoke lingering after every motion. Skin more pale than usual, face angry and blurry, you figured the bug planting had gone south. If the empty server on your end told you anything, you already knew why he was this pissed off. "You know, I warned you about me not being there."_

 _"What would you have changed!?" it was the first time he had gotten so verbal with you. With a visible flinch, you wondered if he was asking it rhetorically. You decided that your need to rub your ego was greater than your wellbeing at the moment._

 _"Well, if I was there, I could save the files as it's transferring. Even if they caught us, the only way they could get rid of what I had is to wipe my computer." You explained arms crossed as usual from annoyance. He didn't make a move, making it hard for you to tell if you had struck a nerve or not. But he turned around, leaving. With that, you smiled._

 _"Make the next one faster." His voice echoed._

 _"Sure thing boss." You hummed, a smile on your lips for the rest of the day._

So here you are, giddy as ever from the excitement of it all. You even got some form fitting black uniform to go with it. It felt like a spy movie really, the futuristic plane, the hacking, and everything. A giggle escaped from your lips.

"This isn't some game." You rolled your eyes at that one.

"Sure, sure, Dad. Can't help it that I find this all a little cliché." You shot back, turning your attention to the small window, seeing land already. You heart started to beat faster, and your smile grew. But then the sudden realization hits your hard, wiping the smile off your face. "Aren't you worry that someone might notice the plane flying in?"

He didn't reply, and when he didn't you turned to look at him. His attention was also a window. His fingers were tapping away. Your smile grew again, making the connection to from him to a fidgeting kid that's trying their best to seem calm and collected. You turned back to the window, watching the land appear closer and closer.

* * *

You gave a whistle, seeing the watchpoint in person was a lot more impressive than the shitty jpeg images you've seen. The beautiful red glow from the sunset also helped it out a little. You had watched your step after Reaper exited the plane. He had offered for you to tag along, but quickly corrected himself, asking for the device instead. You handed it to him with no complaints, "I still need to be inside the radius of that thing." You explained, following him close.

It sure wasn't feeling like a spy movie anymore. The way the plane was able just to fly and land on the pad. The way Reaper was just casually walking towards your destination. The way how the whole watchpoint seemed deserted. Not noticing that Reaper had stopped in front of you, you breathed out "whoops", stopping yourself with your hands instead of your face. The typical growl came from him, but nothing else. Looking past him, the room almost made your knee go weak from excitement. This server room was ten times bigger and crowded that you thought it was. You certainly didn't need this much for just a few operatives. They must be hiding some good stuff in here too. It's a shame you were only here for some nobodies.

You got right to work, walking past your statue like boss, and pulled the device from his hands. You plugged in your device that you had commissioned. From the way the progression meter was indicating, you figured it was going to be a long time. You turned your head towards the man, eyes still peering down at your screen, messing around with any that would make it transfer faster.

"You might want to be on guard outside the door or something. This is going to take a while." You admitted.

"Did I not tell you to make it faster?"

"Look it doesn't matter how fast this baby goes, what is important is HOW much it's trying to dig up." You argued, your eyes now glued to him, eyes downturned to show you were already getting less patient, "But whatever, I'm just warning you, if we get caught, I'm not exactly the fastest runner." You heard a small scoff, and he left.

You sighed as if that ordeal had physically drained you already. But the names that flashed past your screen made you grin. You remember so many of these names. Some you heard during the promotion of Overwatch, but mostly from cases you had worked on before. If you still had your old job, you'd be rich now. You'd need more than just two hands to count how many of your past clients would kill for just the names of these people.

It had been maybe only ten minutes, and you already heard gunshots. You debated if you should pack up and leave, but you trusted in Reaper's skill, so you continued. When you heard someone's footsteps echo through the room. You didn't need to turn around to see who it was.

"Look, boss, I said I'd message you when I'm done." You snapped, still typing away at the keyboard. You immediately stopped when you heard a chuckle. You turned your whole body to the entrance, a gasp escaping.

"I guess we just keep swapping roles, huh?" McCree, standing at the entry in all his glory. He was starting to approach you, making his way past you before he yanked the thing device you had plugged in. You watched with your mouth still opened, but that was it. You only watched. You watched how a trail of blood was dripping from his arm. You watched how his other less human arm was dented in places where it wasn't before. His voice broke your concentration, "Can't say that I'm complaining."

"Reaper-" was the first thing in your mind came right to your mouth without any filters.

"Ran away with his tails between his legs. We've got numbers on our side today." He cut you off, folding your laptop closed for you before picking it up. He placed it on the floor and gave a few strong stomped on it, using his feet to nudge it off to the side somewhere. With a hearty sigh, he gave you a warm smile, resting his hands on his hips, as if all was right in the world.

"But I-"

"Don't worry darling we'll make some accommodations for you."

You didn't want to water in your eyes to fall, but they did. You wanted to tell yourself it was because you were finally free from Reaper's wrath, but at the back of your mind, the knowledge of Reaper leaving you behind didn't sit right with you. He would've left you for the dead if this were any different situation. You cursed, wiping your eyes out of embarrassment. You looked up at McCree, his arms crossed and a soft smile as if waiting for you to get yourself together.

"Glad to see you again, cowboy."

"And I, you."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** How many of the Overwatch cast can I cram into this fic in as little chapters as I possibly can, I wonder?

* * *

The bustling base was unsettling for you. The number of warm welcomes and faces, even more. You weren't complaining, but the entirety of the recalled Overwatch had accepted you with open arms, regardless what you had done before. There were some disagreements, but not enough to veto you out. They hadn't even asked you about your involvement with Reaper. You figured McCree must've had a say in all this, or he didn't bother telling anyone else.

Though as bustling and rowdy as Watchpoint Gibraltar were, you couldn't find anything to busy yourself with. You had asked if there was anything you could do to help with around the place, but everyone – Well, you had only actually asked Mercy – had only given you a smile and said that they were fine. You had even brought up the courage to ask the gorilla for work, but he also turned you down. You couldn't blame him; you did try to steal from his network twice already. You opt to try your best to find McCree instead. He was, after all, the only person you knew here.

It was an easy task too; you only had just to stay in a place for about 15 minutes before he went out of his way to find you.

You smiled, hearing his already familiar footsteps approaching you, "I was just about to try and find you myself." You lied, twirling your finger around the top of your drink.

"Of course, you were." He grinned back, pulling up a chair next to you. You had grabbed a cup from in front of you, pouring him a drink. He said his thanks and took a sip while you stayed silent, eyeing each other. Déjà vu all over again.

You broke the silence by letting out a sigh, "What am I even doing here, McCree?" playing with your cup again. "How are they going to let someone that was working with Reaper to stroll about like this?" you didn't know if you had wanted an answer for that.

"Well, we sure won't turn away your skill sets. We can't afford to at the moment." He was watching his words; it didn't take a five-year-old to figure that out. You laughed, trying to ease the tension you had accidentally set in the room.

"It sure doesn't look like it. Can't seem to find anything for me to do around here." Your tone of voice was not helping out with the mode. You took another sip as McCree watched you.

"It's only been a day since Reyes left you here." You felt yourself swallow a lump at what he stated, "Just give it some time." He reassured, placing a hand on your drooped shoulder. Eyeing his hand, you looked back at him with a weak smile.

"Having you counsel me is probably one of the last things I expect from you." the laugh coming from you wouldn't even be able to fool a newborn. "How in the world do I keep deserving all this I'm getting? I'm just a simple information broker." Referring to both the bad and good things that's been happening for the past few months. You jokingly blamed McCree out load for starting the fuse way back then.

"If only you had done your work instead of me." You poked at his shoulder lightly, but the way he let your gentle push him off balance him like that, no one would've known.

"There's no better pick up line than 'hey, can you look at some classified files for me?'." He took off his hat, running his human hand through his hair with a grin. "In all honestly, Overwatch was already keeping an eye out for you, darlin'. I figured I might as well test the waters for them, but Reyes had wanted to keep it under the table."

You frowned at the mention of your former boss. Even after all you've been through, you still didn't know what to think of the man. As menacing as he makes himself out to be, you're still inevitably drawn to him like some moth to an open flame. McCree must've noticed your frown when he shoves his hat onto your head a little too roughly and gives your back a pat.

"Look, all that matters is that you're here now. You're safer here than trying to jump around like you usually do." His accent making each word all that much more fun to listen to. You couldn't help but let your smile spring back up as you take his hat off, fixing your hair in the process.

"That was what he had told me too."

* * *

You hadn't made any effort to contact Reaper, and it seems like neither did he. You were adjusting to your new residence fast, the what little work you found yourself making it that much easier. You'd take inventory for Mercy regardless if she asked for you to or not. You'd help look over the files with Athena and Winston. You'd even clean the floors when you were feeling a little too restless. But you were truly missing your old job; digging information out of the trash.

And that was why you were here in front of Soldier 76's room. You had confronted Mercy about starting up your old job, but she had only referred you to Winston. When you confronted him, he stayed silent before referring you to 76.

With a knock, you were greeted with rustling on the other side of the door. When it got quiet again, you brought up your hands to knock again but stopped short when a raspy boomed through the door.

"Enter."

Hands already starting to get clammy, you opened the door, greeted with a large man in civvies standing only just a few feet from the door. You didn't know what to do with yourself, so you just stood in the doorway, hands fidgeting with itself as you clasp it in front of you. You were getting fluster not because of intimidation, but because of being star struck. Whether he knew or wanted you to or not, you already knew who he was. Jack Morrison was standing in front of you with all his age-old glory. The vigilante fighting must have been tough; he sure looked a lot older than he is.

You hadn't noticed that he was waiting for you to say something. With a quick introduction, you cleared your throat from the nervousness you were feeling before.

"Winston told me to see you." You stood up straight, "About me getting to do some actual work."

He eyes you from head to toe as if trying to size you up. The voice in the back of your head told you that he was reminding you of Reaper a whole lot. You push the thought aside.

"An information broker, right?" you quickly nodded. "We don't currently need one at the moment."

You felt your heart sink. Did that also mean that Overwatch didn't now need you? Of course, they didn't they never even contacted you before.

"What I am more interested in, though, was your relationship with Reaper. McCree had given me the general gist of it, but I like to be thorough." That was no surprise to you; you were waiting for this very moment for a while now.

"Where would you like me to start, boss?"


End file.
